The AODA (The Act)

What is the purpose of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)? When did it come into effect?

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) requires organizations to develop, implement and enforce mandatory accessibility standards. Accessibility standards are the rules that businesses and organizations in Ontario will have to follow to identify, remove and prevent barriers to accessibility. The Act was passed in 2005, and separate standards come into effect as they are drafted and become law.

The AODA sets out standards in five separate areas of our lives:

• customer service,
• built environment,
• transportation,
• employment, and
• information and communication.

The first standard, Customer Service became law on January 1, 2008 and the University must demonstrate compliance in 2010.

Customer Service Standards

What is required of McMaster to comply with the Customer Service Standard?

The Customer Service standard requires the University to meet several components in the ways we provide our services to our students, colleagues, employees and visitors. A brief outline is listed below:

• Establish policies, practices and procedures consistent with accessibility principles regarding accessible customer service, use of personal assistive devices, service animals and support persons, feedback process.
• Ensure every person who deals with the public or influences development of policies/procedures on behalf of the University receives training on providing accessible customer service.
• Establish a process for providing notice of temporary disruptions and a feedback process for receiving comments and/or complaints about the way service is provided.
• Communicate with a person with a disability in a way that takes into account his or her disability.
• Allow persons with disabilities to be accompanied by their guide dog or service animal in those areas that are open to the public, unless the animal is excluded by another law. If a service animal is excluded by law, use other measures to provide services to the person with a disability.
• Permit persons with disabilities who use a support person to bring that person with them while accessing goods or services in premises open to the public or third parties. Where admission fees are charged, the

University must provide notice ahead of time on what admission, if any, would be charged for a support person of a person with a disability.

As someone providing service on behalf of McMaster University, what are some of the questions I should keep in mind when striving to provide more accessible customer service in my office/department?

• Does my office/department have any specific work practices/procedures in effect for providing accessible services?
• What are the points of contact in my office/department where a person (student, fellow employee, alumni, visitor) receives service?
• At these contact points, what barriers to service might persons with disabilities encounter? How can I help improve accessibility with regard to these?
• Does my office/department provide assistive devices or have special measures in place to assist persons with disabilities? If so, are the devices and special measures documented and communicated widely through signage, a website or other methods? Are those individuals who provide service trained in how to use these devices?
• Are there any areas in my office/department where a service animal would be prohibited by law?
• Do we charge admission fees? If so, is the fee communicated widely in advance through websites, brochures or other public methods? This will ensure that persons with disabilities who use a support person are informed.
• How are disruptions in our services communicated in a most accessible manner?

Why do we use the word “customers” at McMaster University? Students are not customers and many university employees are not employed in a “customer service” role.

Under the Ontario Human Rights Code, education is considered a service. By extension, Ontario universities are service providers. The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), 2005 models its regulations to the extent that is possible upon language contained in the Code.

Granted, the word “customer” does not translate as completely in a university setting as it does in other settings. However, in crafting a standard that applies to every Ontario organization with one employee or more, the standard development committee decided on language that would encompass as many different public types as possible: students, clients, patients, employees, retirees, investors, patrons, etc. At McMaster any one of these groups are our “customers”.

Assistive Devices

Does McMaster provide assistive devices or have any special measures in place to assist persons with disabilities?

Yes, the University offers some assistive devices and/or special measures for persons with disabilities.

McMaster libraries offer a Library Service for Students with Disabilities (LSSD) for students referred by The Centre for Student Development (CSD). They offer help with common services, obtaining information in alternate formats and providing assistive technologies (including specialized software). You can find out more about these services here. or call ext. 26058.

McMaster University Technology Services (UTS) offers assistive software in the Kenneth Taylor Hall (KTH) and Burke Science Building (BSB) computer labs. You can find out more about these services here.

Service Animals & Support Persons

Where on campus are service animals prohibited by law?

Animals may not be allowed in restricted portions of McMaster campus laboratories. These may include, but are not limited to sections of the Life Sciences Building (LSB), A.N. Bourns Science Building (ABB), Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Learning & Discovery (MDCL) and/or Institute for Applied Health Sciences (IAHS). For more information about support animal use within these and other campus buildings, please contact the main office of these buildings.

Animals are not allowed in restricted parts of the McMaster University Medical Centre, such as operating rooms, or the ICU. For more information about support animal use within the Hamilton Health Sciences hospital sites please contact their Main Information Desk at 905-521-2100 or St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton at (905) 522-1155.

Does McMaster charge support persons admission fees to buildings/events?

It is the responsibility of organizers of any campus event to decide whether support persons accompanying a person with a disability will be charged admission/ticket fees. However it is imperative that if fees apply to support persons, that this is communicated to the public and attendees ahead of time in an accessible manner.

For example, the David Braley Athletic Centre (DBAC) does not charge membership/registration fees for a support person accompanying someone with a disability. Rather, the Recreation Business Office at the DBAC simply asks that any support people make themselves known to the office and staff as accompanying a specific member of the gym. For more information about DBAC’s process , contact the Recreation Business Office at DBAC WG 101, or at 905-525-9140 ext 24464.

For information about a particular event or service fee, individuals should inquire with the appropriate event organizer or office.

Disruption Notices

How can persons with disabilities find out in advance about disruption of services/routes throughout campus?

Disruptions (both expected and unexpected) within campus buildings are posted as ‘Alerts’ on the Facility Services website, which you can find here.

To receive email notification of disruptions in a specific building, you can subscribe to the Building Notification List through McMaster's Mailman system. This can be done via the Facility Services website which you can find here.

Note: these shutdown lists only pertain to academic buildings on the main campus and exclude Residences, Health Sciences Centre and satellite locations.

Disruptions due to inclement weather are covered by the University’s Storm Emergency Policy & Procedures.

Information & Communication Standard

When will this standard come into effect?

This standard was submitted to the government for consideration as law in the summer of 2009. The Ministry of Community and Social Services will announce a compliance date and an approximate implementation timeline for this standard once it has become law.

Built Environment Standard

When will this standard come into effect?

This standard is going to be reviewed by the standards committee in order to incorporate public input received during 2009, and then it will be sent forward for approval for law. The Ministry of Community and Social Services will announce a compliance date and an approximate implementation timeline for this standard once it has become law.

Employment Standard

When will this standard come into effect?

This standard was submitted to the government for consideration as law in the fall of 2009. The Ministry of Community and Social Services will announce a compliance date and an approximate implementation timeline for this standard once it has become law.

Transportation Standard

When will this standard come into effect?

This standard was submitted to the government for consideration as law in the fall of 2008. The Ministry of Community and Social Services will announce a compliance date and an approximate implementation